12th September 2009 @ Sinema, Old School. Private screening.
The films shown were from Zi Teng, an NGO in Hong Kong advocating for sex workers' rights. I truly learnt from the speaker, social work-trained Elaine. She touched on points about how one who is volunteering for this work, are viewing sex work. In the video she brought to share at the screening, there was a scene where a longtime volunteer of Zi Teng asked about the nature of the work they do. Whether they are abetting and not solving the problem behind sex work outrightly. She said this having had heard sermons at her church. In a way, she is at a dilemma and wonder why she is doing it.
I believe this was important to note and Elaine did point out, it boils down as to whether we view sex work as work. Our own personal barriers would eventually surface too.
Yock Leng made clear distinctions between sex work and sex trafficking. This was in comparison of how womens’ groups or migrants’ group approach the topic of sex work and how they would like to operate and see their involvement as. Project X is still a project per say and this means; there are no clear guidelines as to how one should operate when volunteering. The organic nature of Project X may appeal to some as they can get creative (this blog is one example as I felt a whole load of experience should be documented). Others have helped through offering time to make a blog and some to do photography. These are natural ways of society documenting and archiving grassroots works. I think this is positive and allows for volunteers a sense of ownership.
I spoke and listened to a social worker from a Thai NGO called APNSW. She shared her story being a former sex worker and how she can connect with others. I like her and I think I would benefit from learning from her.
For that day, we ended up at food03 to dine and chat. I went home thinking about what kind of laws are there to protect sex workers who are licensed here in Singapore. This would apply to those in brothels but not streetwalkers. I wondered how the migrant sex workers who are street walkers cope with the fear they face when working.
